CMG Technologies is predicting a bright future for Metal Injection Moulding (MIM) in the medical sector with exciting growth opportunities available as new products are developed to cater for an increasingly aging population.
Rachel Garrett, managing director at CMG Technologies, said there is scope to develop the sector even further by using MIM, which is already popular for use in keyhole surgery, as well as devices used to manage diabetes, implantable devices and fracture/fixation applications.
She said: “Over the past 25 years, MIM has become an increasingly important manufacturing technology for the medical device industry due to its ability to produce high volumes of precision components to net-shape.”
“Guidelines by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence are insisting that more and more medical devices are single use and this is where MIM really comes into its own because it is a much cheaper option than machining.”
CMG Technologies has already facilitated close working partnerships with a number of leading medical device manufacturers, including Swann Morton and DTR Medical.
A new report by Visiongain predicts the global medical devices market will reach $398bn in 2017. But at present, not many companies are exploiting MIM for implantable devices applications due to stringent regulations about materials that can be used.
“Most of the medical devices we produce are made in stainless steel 17-4 PH and this continues to be the case. I do believe MIM can be used successfully once the existing barriers have been overcome and the use of different materials gains accreditation,” said Ms Garrett.